Adjustable splint



(No Mode1.)' 2 sheets-sheet 1. J. H. RANKIN.-

ADJUSTABLE SPLINT.

' No. 552,143. Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

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J. H. RANKIN.

ADJUSTABLE SPLINT.

Patented 1360.81, 1895.

tail view of the foot-rest.

v UNITED STATES PATENT Orifice'.

JOHN Il. RANKIN, OF VERSAILLES, MISSOURI.

ADJUSTABLE SPLINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,143, dated December31, 1895.

Application filed May 8', 1895. Serial No. 548,585. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it kn own that I, JOHN H. RANKIN, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Versailles, in the county of Morgan and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Adjustable Splint, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to splints or fracture apparatus for thetreatment of broken limbs, sprains, and dislocated joints, and has forits object theprovision of anappliance for the purposes aforesaid whichis adjustable in its several parts to adapt it for the treatment ofvarious sizes of limbs, thereby placing within the reach of the surgeona splint capable of universal application, and which at the same timewill be light and attain the` desired results in a satisfactory manner.

A further purpose of the invention is the construction of a splintcombining with the adjustable femoral and tibial sections means wherebythe said sections are adapted to give at a point corresponding with theposition of the knee, and which at the same time will have combinedtherewith an interchangeable foot brace and rest to adapt the splint forthe various conditions of the fracture or injury being treated.

The improvement will be more particularly set forth hereinafter andpointed out in the subjoined claims, and is illustrated in the drawingshereto attached, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a splintembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 having theleg-pads removed. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the lower or tibial sectionof the splint, showing the roller eXtension replaced by the foot-rest.tail view of a joint provided between contiguous and adjacent sections.Fig. 5'is a detail view of the roller extension. Fig. 6 is a de- Fig. 7is a crosssection through twojslidable parts, vshowing the means forconnectingthem together. Fig. Sis a detail view in section, showing themeans for securing a pad to one of the parts of the splint.

The splint or fracture apparatus comprises similar side pieces formed ofadjustable femoral and tibial sections which have pivotal connection attheir contiguous or adjacent ends with a knee plate or pad l, wherebythe Fig. 4 is a delection of the knee is rendered possible without theremoval of the splint from the limb.

The femoral and tibial sections are similarly constructed and a detaileddescription of the one will be sufficient, and corresponding parts willbe indicated and referred to by similar reference-numerals in thedrawings and the following description.

The numeral 2 designates the similar femoral sections and the numeral 3the like tibial sections. The sectionscomprise adjustable or slidableparts 4 and 5, the parts 4 being adjacent to and having pivotalconnection with the knee plate or pad 1 and the parts 5 being remotetherefrom. The part 4 has a longitudinal slot 6, which is adapted toregister with a corresponding slot 7 in the part 5, and suitablefastenings are provided to operate in the registering slots 6 and 7 toguide the parts 4 and 5 in their various adjustments and by means ofwhich they are secured in the adj usted position. One of the fastenings,as 8, comprises a portion to extend through the registering slots 6 and7 and is headed at its ends to overlap the sides or edges of the slotsso as to retain the parts 4 and 5 in close relation, and this fastening8 is movablewith one of thev parts, as 5, and travels in the slot in thepart 4.

The fastening 9 comprises a block l0 to operate in the registering slots6 and 7, a circular plate or button ll on the inner side of the section,a corresponding plate or button 12, and a binding-screw 13 to operatethrough the buttons 1l and 12 and the block 10, and adapted to clamp theparts 4 and 5 between the plates or buttons 1l and 12, so as to holdthem in the located position.

The part 4 has pivotal connection with the end portion of the knee-plate1, as shown at 14, and a quadrant enlargement 15 has a curved slot 16,through which extends a binding-screw 17, bymeans of which the parts 1and 4 are secured in the adjusted position, said binding-screw enteringa threaded opening provided in the plate l. A pin or stop 18 projectinglaterally from the plate 1 is adapted to engage with the end of theenlargement 15, so as to prevent and limit the relative forward movementof the femoral and tibial sections and maintain them in alignment. Theseveral sections will have a series of longi- IOO tudinal slots 19 inproximate relation to their edges for the passage of the bandages bymeans of which the splint is secured upon the limb under treatment andthe knee-plates will have slots 2O for a similar purpose.

The inner femoral section will have a perineal section or pad 21 forclose engagement with the crotch, which is of especial advantage in thetreatment of certain fractures and dislocated joints. Obviously thisperineal section or pad may be dispensed with without affecting themerits of the invention, and is shown as it will be provided in the mostgenerally constructed splint.

An auxiliary or supplemental extension 22 may be provided and applied tothe external femoral section, and is provided at its upper end with anarm pad or section 23, by means of which the greater part of the weightand strain can be removed from the limb when the patient is in astanding or upright position. This auxiliary extension is composed ofadjustable parts 24 and 25, which have longitudinal registering slots 26and 27, through which extend fastenings S and 9, by means of which thesaid parts are secured in the desired position, and these parts haveedge slots 19 for the passage of straps or bandages by means of whichthe said extension 22 is firmly secured to the trunk of the patient. Aplate 28, similar in construction to the knee-plate 1, has pivotalconnection near its opposite ends with the auxiliary section 22 and theadjacent femoral section, and these latter sections are held in arelative adjusted posi- -tion by means of binding-screws 29 passingthrough curved slots 30 in the said sections and screwing into threadedopenings in the plate 2S.

The roller extension 31 comprises similar side sections 32, which havetheir lower portions bent inward, as shown at 33, and provided withregistering slots 34 to receive suitable fastenin gs, as 8 and 9, bymeans of which the side sections 32 are held at the required distanceapart. The upper parts of the side sections 32 have longitudinal slots35 to correspond with similar slots 3G in the lower parts of the tibialsections to receive fastenings, as S and 9, by means of which the saidside sections 32 are held in the required adjusted position. Afoot-brace 37 is attached to a short rod 38, which is adapted to befitted in upwardly-inclined slots 39 formed in the edges of the sidesections 32, and said rod is held from longitudinal movement by means oftwo pins 40 and 41 passing transversely through an end thereof andadapted to come upon each side of the adjacent section 32. The roller 42is journaled in the side sections 32, and its projecting end is providedwith a ratchet-wheel 43, which is adapted to be engaged by means of apawl 44 to hold the said roller in the required position, and theprojecting portion 45 is made angular or otherwise constructed toreceive a wrench or tool by means of which the roller 42 is turned whenrequired to attain the desired result. Vhen the treatment hassufficiently advanced to admit of the patient being placed in an uprightor standing position, the roller extension 31 is removed and replaced bya foot-rest 4G, the same consisting of two plates 47 to be secured inany desired manner to the sole of a slipper or other foot-gear and sideextensions 48 having longitudinal slots 49 to receive the fastenings bymeans of which the foot-rest is adjustably connected with the lowerparts of the tibial sections.

The knee-plates and the thigh-plate will be padded on their inner sidefor the ease and comfort of the patient and to obviate all possiblechaiiing and soreness which would result from the engagement of themetal with the limb. Femoral and tibial pads 50 and 51 of similarconstruction will be provided and have adjustable connection with thecorresponding sections and consist of plates having transverse slots 52for the reception of the fastenings by means of which the parts of therespective sections are secured together in the located position. Eachpad will comprise two similar'parts and is adapted to be adjusted to anylength or width of limb to which the splint is adapted to be applied.The plates forming the base of the legpad will be suitably cushioned toaiford a soft bearing between the limb and the splint-sections.

For treating various patients it is necessary to shift the position ofthe leg-pads laterally relative to their supporting-sections, and thisadjustment is rendered easy by reason of the transverse slots 52, andwhen the pads are required to be moved longitudinally the correspondingslots in the respective pad-supporting sections admit of suchadjustment,`

one or both adjustments being attained by loosening the fastenin gsemployed for attaching the pads to their respective sections and forsecuring the latter in the required position, as will be readilyunderstood.

The several sections and component parts of the splint will beconstructed from sheet metal of any required kind suitable for thepurpose, but it is preferred to make the same exclusively of aluminumbecause of its great strength and lightness and because it is not liableto corrode.

The roller extension 31, with its roller 42, is designed for use in thetreatment of limbs which are required to be stretched, and to effectthis latter result bandages are firmly attached to the lower portion ofthe limb and are secured to the roller 42 in any convenient manner, sothat when it is required to extend the limb the roller 42 can be turnedupon its journals to wind up the bandage and thereby 'stretch the limb,as will be readily understood.

The s )lint is adapted for either limb, the upper f moral sections beinginterchangeable at the knee-joint to admit of the adaptation of thedevice for the treatment of either limb, as will be readily appreciated.

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It will be seen from the foregoing that the splint is capable of avaried adjustment and is susceptible of use in a variety of ways, andthat it can be worn without causing inconvenience or annoyance to thepatient and will admit of the articulation of the limb to obviatestiffness of the joints without the necessity of removing the splint toattain this result. Many other objects and advantages are apparent, andit is to be understood that in the embodiment of the invention variouschanges in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Asplint comprising similar femoral and tibial sections composed ofslidable parts having corresponding and registering middle and sidelongitudinal slots, the side slots being provided to receive thebandages, and fastenings operating within the middle slots to guide theparts in their sliding movements and secure them in the locatedposition, substantially as set forth. l Y 2. A splint comprising femoraland tibial sections having their contiguous or adjacent ends separatedor spaced apart, and a knee plate interposed between the separated endsof said sections and having the latter pivotally connected therewith atdiametrically opposite points, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. A splint comprising femoral -and tibial sections having theiropposing or adjacent ends separated or spaced apart, a knee plateinterposed between the separated ends of the said sections and havingthe latter pivotally connected thereto at diametrically opposite points,stops for limiting the movements of the sections and assuring theiralignment, and fastenings for securing the parts in the located positionwith respect to the knee plate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a splint, the combination with the tibial sections, of a rollerextension comprising similar side sections having their lower portionsbent inward and overlapping, means for adjustably connecting the saidoverlapping portions whereby the roller extension can be contracted orexpanded, and provisions for adjustably securing the roller extension tothe tibial sections, whereby the splint can be lengthened or shortened,substantially as Ainclined notches in its edges, of a foot brace,

and a rod therefor adapted to be supported in the said notches, and heldfrom longitudinal movement7 substantially as set forth.

6. In a splint, the combination with the tibial sections, of a foot restto be secured to the sole of a slipper or other foot gear and comprisingtwo plates of similar construction each having a side extension, andmeans for adjustably connecting the side extensions with the respectivetibial sections, substantially in the manner set forth for the purposedescribed.

7. A splint comprising inner and outer femoral sections, in combinationwith a perineal section or pad attached to the inner femoral section,and an auxiliary extension having pivotal connection with the outerfemoral section and terminating in an arm pad,said auxiliary extensionbeing composed of slidable parts having longitudinal registering slotswithin which operate the fastenings by means of which the parts areadjustably connected together, substantially as specified.

8. The herein described splint comprising knee plates,similar femoraland tibial sections having pivotal connection with the opposite ends ofthe knee plates and comprising slidable parts, means for securing themovable parts in a fixed position, a roller section removably and adjustably connected with the tibial sections, a roller and foot bracesupported by the roller extension, a thigh plate, and an auxiliaryextension, having pivotal connection with the thigh plate, andextensible, and provided with an arm rest or section, substantially asset forth.

9. The combination with a splint comprising slidable parts, of a leg padformed of similar parts, having transverse slots, and having both alongitudinal and lateral adjustment, substantially in the manner setforth for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses'A JOHN H. RANKIN.Witnesses: v

JOHN S. CARLISLE, JOEL D. HUBBARD.

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